


Sleeping In The Lion's Den

by Mars_McKie



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Comfort/Angst, Fluff, Internal Conflict, Tickling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-09
Updated: 2019-07-09
Packaged: 2020-06-25 11:32:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19744867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mars_McKie/pseuds/Mars_McKie
Summary: What were the sleeping arrangements that night in the caravan?When Ardyn wakes up in the morning, he discovers Noctis curled up beside him.





	Sleeping In The Lion's Den

**Author's Note:**

> References to certain moments in Episode Ardyn, so spoiler alert?

Ardyn hummed contently as he rolled his head on his pillow, slowly returning to the world of the waking after a surprisingly peaceful night of sleep as soft sunlight filtered through the dusty curtains. He opened his eyes and grinned up at the ceiling of the caravan. That's right; yesterday he had met with the Prince and his retinue and persuaded them to follow him to the Disc of Cauthess. Finally, his plans for revenge against the line of Lucis were in motion.

He became aware of an odd dead feeling in his arm, as though he had slept on it despite the fact he was lying on his back. Another being shifted against him. Looking down, Ardyn realised with a stab of horror that Prince Noctis was sleeping against his side. One of his arms was slung across Ardyn’s waist while his head rested against Ardyn’s chest -currently devoid of his trenchcoat and waistcoat for the night- slumbering peacefully.

Unable to move, Ardyn could only stare in shock.

Someone shifted in the caravan and Ardyn looked up to see the Prince’s advisor Ignis leaning against the worktop, a can of Ebony in one hand and fixing the pair of them with a measured glare, despite the fact that this was not Ardyn’s doing.

“Morning,” Ignis said tersely.

Confounded, Ardyn gestured down to Noctis with his free hand. Ignis’s own expression turned to one of amusement.

“My apologies, his highness must have gone to the bathroom in the night,” Ignis explained quietly, conscious of his sleeping companions. “He must have slipped by me.”

It had been fun the previous night, watching the group of four debate sleeping arrangements. Finally, it was decided that Ardyn should take the bed at one end, Noctis and Prompto would take the sofas at the other, Ignis would sleep on the floor between the two on the spare sofa cushions, and Gladio would keep guard outside (though only after heatedly arguing the matter with Ignis as to who would sleep outside; Ignis only conceded defeat and accepted the floor when Gladio pointed out it was to protect the Prince and ordered Ignis to stick a dagger in Ardyn should he so much as move in the night). Ardyn had pondered to himself as to what their usual sleeping arrangements would be, which pair would share the bed he now slept in.

“He has an unfortunate tendency to curl up to other people,” Ignis continued with a weary sigh. “He can’t have realised who he was getting into bed with. I do _hope_ he isn’t causing you any discomfort.”

The tone of his voice clearly implied that Ignis _hoped_ that Noctis was sticking a knife in Ardyn’s side (for all the effect it would have) though Ardyn chose to ignore it. The fact that the Prince liked to snuggle up to his friends in bed was a far more interesting titbit.

“Hmm, not at all,” Ardyn murmured. The vibrations caused Noctis to shift closer to Ardyn in his sleep, gripping him more tightly, his leg straddling Ardyn's and nuzzling his face against the front of Ardyn’s shirt.

Ardyn was confronted with the realisation that Noctis was hugging him.

The thought sent a strange, fuzzy feeling through his mind and body. Nobody had hugged him for two thousand years- the only person he had been familiar enough with was Aera. He had desperately craved any amount of intimacy when he was starved of a single touch during his long incarceration, often revisiting those days spent lounging in the fields in his mind, and his chest now fluttered for the affection. However, it was quickly pushed away as he remembered the one hugging him was the last surviving member of a line that he had sworn to destroy.

Ardyn could quite easily blast the Prince; infect him with the scourge that this chosen lamb for the slaughter was trying to fight and turn him in front of his friends, but when Noctis shifted again his face tilted up towards Ardyn’s, looking so soft in sleep, unaware of the potential danger he was in and far too young to be dealing with the Astral’s damned prophecy. Ardyn realised he was becoming conflicted. He’d better deal with this, and fast.

Ardyn conceded that a more diplomatic approach might be a better option here, and looking up to Ignis (who had been staring at Noctis with a strange look on his face) Ardyn asked, “Do you have a method for getting him to move when he’s like this?”

Ignis grimaced. “Yes, but-” He trailed off, and after a moment he moved forward to shake at Noctis’s shoulder with his free hand. “Your Highness? It’s time to get up.”

Across the caravan, Prompto yawned and sat up, rubbed at his eyes but paused as he spotted the scene that was playing out. Ardyn shot the Prince’s friend an annoyed look even as Ignis doubled down on his shaking.

“Noct, breakfast is ready,” Ignis said, but to no effect. Nothing short of one of Titan’s earthquakes seemed likely to wake the sleeping Prince.

Ignis huffed a sigh, muttered a short “sorry Noct,” before Ardyn spied Ignis’s fingers slipping from Noctis’s shoulder into his armpits. Noctis gave a small whimper as his arm slightly retracted across Ardyn’s stomach.

“Ho!” Ardyn exclaimed on realising that Noctis was ticklish.

“What’s happenin’?” Prompto asked groggily. Ignis turned at the question and Ardyn seized the moment, his own fingers dancing into the hollows of the Prince’s armpits. Noctis giggled as his arm came down to try to protect his armpit, though only succeeded in trapping Ardyn’s fingers against his most ticklish spots.

“Ah!” Ignis stuttered, unsure at this turn of events. The sound of a camera shutter indicated Prompto was up and Ardyn smirked as he wiggled his fingers, the black t-shirt offering little protection against the wriggling sensations. As he started to come around, Noctis laughed and shook his head.

“Dammit!” Noctis cried through his laughter, but on opening his eyes and beholding his torturer he gave a scream and warped away in shock, landing in a heap on the floor. Ardyn laughed even as he saw the wheels in the Prince’s head turn, trying to work out what had happened.

The door to the caravan sprang open, bouncing off the wall, and Ignis held up a calming hand as Gladio came storming in.

“What’s going on?” the Shield growled.

“Noct curled up with Ardyn in his sleep; we were waking him up,” Ignis explained shortly. The tension lessened from Gladio’s shoulders though Noctis still stared at Ardyn in alarm.

“Now that we’re all awake,” Ardyn said, gaining the attention of the room. “Does anyone have first shot at the bathroom?”

“You go,” Gladio said gruffly.

“Why thank you,” Ardyn smiled, stood from the bed -Noctis shuffled backwards on the floor away from him- and crossed to the small bathroom. He locked the door behind him and stood with his palms on the side of the sink, regarding himself in the mirror. The mischievous grin was fixed on his face.

He hadn’t laughed so light-heartedly in years. These boys were fast becoming a distraction from his goals and he knew he could not allow that to happen. Noctis’s ancestors were the ones responsible for his imprisonment and fall from grace, though deep inside Ardyn did wonder if the comfort of another person beside him was the reason why he didn’t have his usual nightmares last night. It did not do well to have these confused feelings at this point.

Ardyn ran the tap and splashed some cold water on his face before raised voices drew his attention.

“I was not hugging him!” Noctis cried.

“Dude, you were totally snuggling up to him!” Prompto laughed.

“If you weren’t hugging him then what were you doing?” Gladio asked, amusement in his tone.

“I believe a picture is worth a thousand words,” Ignis said.

“Nuh uh! You’re deleting those photos, Prompto!”

“Noct! Easy buddy! You’re gonna break my camera!”

Ardyn chuckled and wondered if there was a way he could procure a copy of those photos.


End file.
